Flic en jean

Maurizio Merli may have come to fame as a Franco Nero impersonator; but after that he really came into his own and if his name is on the cast list (particularly if it's at the top of the cast list), you're pretty much guaranteed a good film. This one was the final outing for Merli's Commissario Betti character, and he ensures the ace crime fighter goes out with a bang as Marino Girolami's film is packed to breaking point with car chases, shootouts and fist fights and certainly delivers on the promise of being an action packed thriller! The plot focuses on Commissario Betti. Once again, he's aggravated at the amount of crime going on in the city and his attention is focused mainly on two big crimes; a bank robbery and a kidnap plot. The Commissioner battles bravely to ensure the crooks are brought to justice but soon realises that there's no point in merely sorting out the henchmen and decides to go after the man he believes is heading the criminal operations; slimy businessman Albertelli, although bringing justice on the head criminal may not be so easy...

This film is very easy to watch and getting lost in the numerous action scenes is a lot of fun. The plot flows very smoothly and there really is very little time when something isn't happening, which is really exactly what you want from a film like this. The action scenes do take over the plot at times; but it's not really important because entertainment is the main thing. The plot itself is certainly interesting, however; with the main focus being on the police matching wits with a very sly and intelligent criminal. You can always count on Maurizio Merli for a great performance and he doesn't disappoint here. He does look just a little bit silly at times admittedly, but he actually does convince us that he is a man who would give everything to stop crime in the city (although by this point, he had a lot of practise!). The film is not exactly heavy and although certain scenes are quite nasty; the atmosphere is usually quite light. Franco Micalizzi's score is very good too, and Merli receives very good support from cult supremo John Saxon. The ending is a bit of downer, but I can't complain given how entertaining the rest of the film is. Highly recommended!

This is probably the most action-packed film I have ever seen - and I have seen quite a few. Unlike in many Italian films of the seventies, not much time is wasted on phony emotional slush. There are no slow-motion shots and few "face studies" so typical of cheap cinema,where poliziottesci generally belong. The story is usually quite believable and logical but also pleasantly fresh and unpredictable. Action scenes are imaginative and realistic - I particularly liked the car chases - though some fight scenes do look rather wooden and the the punches are always much too loud. Maurizio Merli does not overact too much (especially if compared with Franco Nero). He does a really nice job as a tough but likable inspector. He chases the criminals, but can also be lenient with those who want to mend their ways. There is also a nice romantic element in the story. Another advantage of the film is the absence of politics. One is frequently unpleasantly surprised at the amount of naive leftist brain-washing in Italian action cinema of the 70s. (eg. Milano callibro 9) I don't understand the undeservedly low rating of this film in imdb(5.9. I have also seen 'La polizia incrimina, la legge assolve' by Castellari, rated at 7.5, and I think this is a much better film. The dialogues are good though I can't guarantee for the translations. Learn Italian and see the original. However, this is not a family cinema. A few scenes are really rough, so I wouldn't recommend the film to anybody under 15.

It's all happening in this one, great opening theme music backed up by plenty of nasty 1970s action from the get go. Poor man's Franco Nero, bottle blond Maurizio Merli, has his hands full before the opening credits finish rolling, with not only a violent bank robbery but also a mass kidnapping of children on their way to school. Later there are a couple of the best car chases I've seen in a "Poliziotteschi" movie, as well as the obligatory rape scene, and a particularly graphic "dragged behind a car" execution. All this and a surprise ending thrown in for good measure, what more could you ask?

Call me sick or call me sadist, but nothing makes me merrier than watching a raw and excessively violent Italian cop thriller from the 1970's! These so-called "Poliziotteschi" flicks simply have everything that avid cult fanatics could possibly be seeking for, and more! And also this "Italia A Mano Armato" (a.k.a. "A Special Cop in Action") features incredibly massive doses of hard-boiled action, nail-biting suspense, dazzling car chases (and rooftop chases), badass characters, nasty plot twists, controversial political/social themes, gritty atmospheres and a sizzling soundtrack. Director Franco Martinelli is perhaps not the most prolific name in this genre, but he is clearly playing in the same league as the genuine experts (Umberto Lenzi, Stelvio Massi, Fernando Di Leo…) in terms of quality and sheer entertainment. In good old Poliziotteschi tradition, there isn't much of a stable plot, but the pacing moves forward like a derailed train and something new & exciting happens approximately every one and a half minutes. Maurizio "Mustache" Merli returns for the third and final time as commissioner Betti, the unorthodox and relentless copper with fists of steel and an allergy for political injustice. Betti is up to his neck in crime scenes again, including violent bank robberies, heroin smuggling and – most repugnant of all – the cowardly kidnapping of six defenseless school children in exchange for a giant ransom. Betti is convinced that all the separate crimes lead back to one major gangster kingpin, namely the sly Albertelli. But Albertelli is a widely respected businessman and uses all his political power and influence to keep Betti out of his way. You needn't look for style or visual elegance in this type of cinema, as this certainly isn't similar to the works of contemporary Italian A-list directors like Fredrico Fellini or Michelangelo Antonioni. The Poliziotteschi films were initially inspired by Hollywood blockbusters like "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection", but they gradually evolved into a fully unique genre that also perfectly illustrated the depressing social and economic climate in Italy at that time. You'll notice here in this film as well that the tone and atmosphere are continuously grim, the good guys embittered and even a happy ending is out of the question. The performances are terrific, with Merli as the unstoppably fit copper. You can even throw him out of a speeding car or lock him up in a prison amidst hundreds of personal enemies, and still he never gives up! Cult deity John Saxon is fabulous as the slimy and sardonic villain Albertelli. He only appears on screen after half an hour, but he plays an essential part in the outrageous climax. Sadly enough there's always a shortage of strong women in these movies. The only noteworthy females here are Merli's insignificant love interest and a squealing rape victim. The extended car chase forms the highlight of sheer adrenaline (look out for the little black car that gets rammed into the river) and the shootout in the harbor is unforgettable as well. My hat off to the stuntmen and camera operators that literally risked their lives in order to provide this cult gem with genuine action sequences, shot from imaginative angles and viewpoints.

Third mission for Commissario Betti - gangster hunt in Turin and Milan with Maurizio Merli and John Saxon

After stints in Rome (Roma violenta, 1975) and Naples (Napoli violenta, 1976), the not-so-squeamish inspector was transferred (criminally) to the industrial city of Turin. And things get tough there too. Hijacking of a school bus with the subsequent taking of the children hostage, bank robbery with a false hostage, attempted rape of a random victim, death of a captured child, Betti offers herself as a hostage in exchange for freeing the other children, is thrown out of the car while driving at speed. There's a lot going on in Turin and the surrounding area! As a viewer, you hardly get to think. Behind all of these perfidities there is probably a tough businessman named Albertelli (John Saxon (1936-2020)), who promptly knows everything. An exposed police informant from Milan, who works for Commissario Arpino (Raymond Pellegrin), is brutally dragged to death. Turin and Milan? You can see that crime in Italy doesn't stop at the city limits ;-) After all, the original film is called "Italia a mano armata" and no longer just "Roma violenta" or "Napoli violenta" like in the first two Split. So it's all about it! It's a good thing that Inspector Betti didn't fall on his head even after falling on the motorway. So the clever fox was able to smuggle in his own man (Toni Ucci) as a driver for the nasty Albertelli. He even manages to fake a serious accident with the villain, so that Albertelli can be persuaded that he has to stay injured in the hospital. The astonished mafia boss promptly tells his chauffeur the meeting point with his cronies. A lot of things are going in the right direction for Betti. Privately, there are even signs of a happy ending for the tough detective with the charming sister (Mirella D'Angelo) of the boy who died in the kidnapping. But will someone like him ever find peace?

With this trilogy, Maurizio Merli (1940-1989) played his way into the front row of the extremely successful poliziottesco genre. However, unlike the better actor and GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Franco Nero, he remained too attached to this role in the future. In any case, Maurizio Merli takes no prisoners in his role. The type he played corresponded to the spirit of the times in a decade that - not only in Italy - was characterized by many upheavals and violent upheavals. The film contains one of the best car chases you could see in the cinema. It's better not to know anything specific about the exact circumstances of the shooting.

The famous GOLDEN GLOBE winner John Saxon plays very solidly as usual. You take both sides off him. As in "Cross Shot", which was filmed in beautiful Bari, he could have played the tough detective.